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Thanks for running this AP, GM! I did some solo GMing for Fall of Plaguestone and yikes, it's quite a change from PFS scenarios. That adventure is infamously difficult and there are so many "you open a door and a monster attacks, kill it and get the loot" rooms it became a chore. But I'm glad to have joined this crew, it was a lot of fun.
"And here's more plaster for you- and for you- and..." Pandir thanks Foremother Meredith for her gifts. Or maybe it is Gozreh? Pandir can figure out the details later. The party is loud, as usual, but the hermitage spends their time reconciling what happened. The Blighted Temptation made their mark, and damaged the temple badly. They will have to rebuild. In the mean time, the Abbot approaches Pandir and holds the scratched symbol of Gozreh. "Ah, yes... we lost too many to that... creature." He hands Pandir a similar symbol, but it is intact. "Be well, Pandir. Normally I would ask you to join us at the retreat, Gozreh already has gifted you with some abilities. Know we are always thankful for what you did." Pandir fiddles with the holy symbol before finding some place to display it. These kinds of necklaces are not well built for bulbous heads. "Thank you, Abbot of Hermits. I will keep both symbols, to remind me to remain strong. And to remind me of the destructive forces at play." She bows, which is difficult when you're this top heavy. "Oh! Daughter of the Mayor mentioned some kind of sacred symbol. It must be protected. What is it, if I may ask?"
"Oh! I would like to return at one point and learn more about Gozreh." She fiddles with the desecrated holy symbol she recovered long ago. "While indulgence is acceptable, it must be tempered. Otherwise you will waste away." Foremother Meredith tried to teach Pandir about the world, especially the mortal one she was once part of. But theory can only go so far, and Pandir learned more from experience. Worms who Wear Skin, Blighted Temptations, and Foolish Decorators. How many were there? Maybe too many to stop. Maybe it wasn't her goal to stop them but rather protect her grove. Inspire others to resist this destructive behavior. Find peace and joy from within. There were many things to consider, and Pandir was bad at long term thinking. So first thing's first: help the Mayor's daughter return to Abberton. Then return to the circus for some closure. Then...? That's a question for later.
Once Miss Rosefinch has finished kicking the Blighted Temptation, Pandir unplants herself. "Ah, excuse me. We are looking for the mayor's daughter." She begins using Healing Plaster to heal any immediate injuries, but she suspects the people here are exhausted.
Pandir watches the creature flail about, grasping for life at every turn. When Foremother spoke of passing, she always mentioned dignity. Knowing when your time had come, and quietly accepting it. She wonders how Myron would have handled it. Would he be aware of this creatures's deadly embrace? Maybe he was able to protect the Wayward Wonders with his final act. This creature wandered from the Wayward Wonders into the Hermitage, or maybe they were bored of the Hermitage and went to the circus as a distraction. Pandir flops down and plants herself for a moment. The blight is culled. The Hermitage is saved from immediately downfall. Pandir looks to Grog. He's always thinking. But this time he didn't need to. "Miss Finch. You may begin your spiteful kicking."
The behavior reminded her of Sister Venus in her bad days. How easy it was to intoxicate friends, family, and strangers. Always dancing between laziness and desire. But watching Katala almost collapse in an instant. It was terrifying. This kind of blight had to be stopped. They would simply infect another region, scar another grove. Also Grog's decision made it very clear. The Wayward Wonders would either kill the blighter or die trying. In position, Pandir began her Stumbling Stance and made a flurry of blows.
"Finch, I can take a Step back and help flank if you wish." If she did not desire the repositioning, Pandir would attempt a third swing. Third Swing if Finch doesn't need flanking from Pandir:
I wonder if this BBEG has a cool backstory, as succcubi are a much higher CR. We should be charmed and/or dominated at this point if we were fighting a full-powered one.
Pandir fumbles with her thoughts. This person wants to be a friend. And yet they almost burned Kitala fur off. What kind of friend would do that? All of the Worms-that-Wear-Skin, and the insane worshipers attacked. Then she fumbles on something within her leaves. "And what of this?" She pulls out the scarred symbol of Gozreh. "Nemira trusted you to be a good friend! And you sent her to die!" She shakes violently. "You are no friend! You are a poisonous vine, here to squeeze the life out of this grove!"
"W-wait..." Pandir watches Katala's flesh melt away in the person's embrace. "You are not a friend!" Pandir runs to the other side of Grog, to help him flank. "Friend Katala, listen to me! This person is not our friend! They are rapidly consuming your flesh through... it's not acid. I'm not sure. But it is not healthy for you! Let go and retreat now!" Pandir will try to appeal to Katala to help her escape.
Whether her words land or not, Pandir knows what she must do. Pummel this corruptive force!
"Friend Grog! What are you doing? We're here to rescue her?" Pandir watches her friends fight.
Pandir cocks her head to the side.
"Oh. Well friend. Ah, we are glad to save you?" She bounces ahead, looking for the mayor's daughter. "Perhaps you can help us find her." She offers to help the person off of their chair.
We may as well narrate at this point. Sounds like we're up to the last encounter in this region, anyway.
"For Myron." Pandir bobs in front of the door. Friend Grog makes a good point. Are we the heroes?
Pandir stands up and moves towards the central door. "We must be ready." She squats for a moment and stands still to gather herself. "Okay, I am ready."
"Ah, yes."
"There you are, Friend Grog. I also have an elixir of life on hand. This 'Abbess' must be stopped before we can purge this hermitage of weeds."
"Ah... but Gozreh?" Pandir squats, deep in thought. "I am so confused. He thinks she is a heretic, but he attacked us?"
Pandir puts all of her energy into taking the fiery Abbess worhsipper down. Reminds her too much of the Blight.
"Oh! Hot!" Pandir bounces away from the flames.
Pandir dashes inbetween the two bickering monks. "Ah, I see. Apologies! I am lost! Where are we? Who is the Abbess?" She acts dumb long enough to get the drop on the bald monk. She nonlethally flails at him.
Pandir finds all of this so confusing. First worms who wore skin invaded town. Then a gnome clearly misunderstood how nature works. And now more consumption. Still, there is at least one more room to look into before the central room. And Sister Venus always advises her to keep looking! Perception:
Pandir ponders over the dry ink inscribed the dead tree pulp. "Why were they so intent on destroying the pulp? Maybe we can use it to cleans the hermitage. Oh, wait. We would need a possession and an enchantement." Pandir stands upright. "A useful clue. Maybe for later." Once the investigation finishes, Pandir heads towards the northwestern door.
Assuming nothing is amiss, she opens the door.
Pandir splashes one of the potions over herself, and her leaves rapidly grow back.
"Six feet... oh, but if I were buried, would I sprout?" Pandir wonders about the riddle Friend Katala presented. Eventually she responds with a "Oh! Sister Venus said it will not work in such a way. And it would take too long to help you."
With all of this free time, Pandir searches the dead tree pulp room for more clues.
One down. Now, the Facefiend. Pandir hustles as quickly as she can, up to the demon. So many leaves, dangling by a thread. She summons her courage, almost falls over, just enough to find a sensitive region to strike!
Pandir is too slow and the Bookeater is too fast. She takes a Step to flank with Miss Rosefinch.
She maintains her composure and swings once more.
"Hurry, friends..."
With a burst of wind, Pandir uses >Ki Rush< to flank with Grog. Then she focuses on a Flurry of Blows against the Red tinted Bookeater.
The Worms that Wear Skin did not try to wear him. Probably for the best. Sister Venus said you do not have to recycle everything, there are societal norms to be honored. Pandir still doesn't get it. And now, Friend Katala reveals a room full of dead tree pulp and ink. More societal norms to observe. Pandir enters and looks for any sources of danger.
So confusing. Perhaps the Worms who Wear Skin did not like to wear him. Pandir takes a look around the room - why was it locked? Why did They not wear him? How did he die?
Pandir tries her best to understand the lock, but at some point she turns to Miss Rosefinch.
"A lot of fertilizer for the fungus. But not enough sunlight." Pandir looks with curiosity. "I would call nature, but we are trying to remain quiet, yes?" Pandir prepares to move ahead to the Red door.
Pandir moves up to the first door, the brown one. The smell is quite repugnant, but it may be full of moss. Yummy, nutritional moss!
"Friend Grog, please wait. I wish to help Friend Katala." Pandir stops to look at the bite marks.
"Oh, wait, you do not synthesize through your fur. Apologies, Friend Katala." She bows in apology. "You may proceed, Friend Grog." Pandir lets her friend attract and make noise.
"Good bye." Pandir doesn't understand the title bestowed upon her, but it's time to turn to her friends.
Another Worm Who Flees. Pandir rustles along the ground towards it.
She flurries the Blue tinted Worm, bopping it once.
Pandir is unsure where her foes are. The Dinner Worms who Flee are quite mobile. But the Wolf Who Hungers appears and knocks Katala down. Rescue! She runs alongside the wolf and swings as many times as she needs to. But first, a feint.
Pandir looks at more... she is unable to think of a good term, at first. Ah! The Dinner Worms who Flee. She runs up and launches a flurry at the Red tinted creature.
Pandir looks alert as the cleaver goes flying.
Pandir simply sneaks along to the next room. Sometimes people are really anxious to eat.
No more warm water. Now more animal flesh preparation.
Pandir scurries next to a table and looks at the meat. What type of flesh is that?
Pandir holds the letter up, down, flips it around, and then hands it to her teammates while she slips into the tub. "The water is recent. Daughter Abber must have used this room. But it seems she left in a hurry?"
Pandir kind of looks around before going south. She looks at the door on the west side and listens carefully before she opens it
Pandir squats to clear her mind. Fumbling with the holy symbol for a bit, she emerges. "Nope. Sorry. Honored Sage always spoke highly of Gozreh, but I never paid enough attention." "Perhaps we must look for more clues in this hermitage before we can open this door?"
"Oh! Friend Grog!" Pandir yelps. "Maybe Traitor Yoril wanted to weaken us first with false urgency."
I'll be on a vacation this weekend. The hotel should have wifi but if you don't hear from me for the next 40 hours you know why.
"Grog and I could use some help." Pandir looks at Yoril and collects the symbol of Gozreh. "Yoril, servant of the Hermitage was not a Worm who Wore Skin, either." "But she did want us to meet Leader Harlok, through the bronze doors. Perhaps she was lying? Or perhaps she wanted us to breach Leader Harlok's defenses?"
Pandir looks on at the carnage. "Cleanse everything!" She bounds up to the remaining creature to kick it thrice.
"Another weed whacked." Pandir takes the bite as the price for admission. These zealots give Gozreh a bad name.
The Worms that Wear Skin terrify her. How badly did they interfere with the hermitage? Who should they kill? Who can they subdue?
Pandir squats and unleashes a >Gale Blast< as she springs back upright, hoping to catch the vermlek off balance.
I'm just glad I decided not to Tumble Through and help Grog flank. Pandir would have gotten stuck and in the way.
Pandir's confusion steps aside. "You... call for the Worms that Wear Skin?" She sidesteps most of the flame.
"Now I see. The foolish halfling was not an outlier. She was the weak scout you sent as a sacrifice." With the routes blocked, she aims towards the Worm in Green.
"We have come to weed you out. Gozreh can decide if civilization has dirtied me. Not you."
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